Navy Midshipmen Men’s Star Forward Earns Patriot League Weekly Honor

This Navy Midshipmen men’s basketball forward helped them get off to a 2-0 start in Patriot League action.

Dec 15, 2024; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Navy Midshipmen forward Donovan Draper (11) drives to the basket against Virginia Tech Hokies forward Tobi Lawal (1) and guard Jaden Schutt (2) during the first half at Cassell Coliseum. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The Navy Midshipmen are the only undefeated team in Patriot League action after two games and junior forward Donovan Draper has plenty to do with it.

For his work last week, Draper was named the Patriot League Men’s Basketball Player of the Week on Monday.

This is Draper’s first player of the week honor this season. He averaged 17.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in the Midshipmen’s victories last week.

In the Patriot League opener against American, Draper posted a double-double, with 17 points and 11 rebounds while dishing out a career-high eight assists.

Against Lafayette, Draper made Navy’s (5-10, 2-0) game-winning shot with 2.1 seconds left to preserve the undefeated start. He ended up with 17 points, nine rebounds and three steals.

This is Navy’s second player of the week honor this season. Austin Benigni picked up the first Patriot League honor in November.

In addition, Holy Cross guard Max Green was named the Patriot League rookie of the week.

Green collected his fifth rookie of the week award and third in as many weeks after averaging 18.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game to help the Crusaders go 1-1 to start League play. 

American forward Matt Rogers, Bucknell center Noah Williamson, Colgate center Jeff Woodward, Lehigh sophomore Cam Gillus and Loyola (MD) guard Jordan Stiemke were named honorable mention.

Rogers averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists last week, including action against Navy.

The Midshipmen will be on the road all week for the second week of Patriot League action. On Wednesday Navy will travel to Holy Cross at 7 p.m. eastern, and then on Saturday the Midshipmen will be at Loyola (MD) at 1 p.m.

Navy won’t get its first chance to play rival Army West Point until Jan. 26 when it hosts the Black Knights.

The Patriot League men’s basketball players of the week are selected in a vote by League media members and each school’s men’s basketball athletics communications contacts, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.